Buzz Calkins
12 G Force/Aurora
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1996-97 Season Review
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Buzz Calkins started his defense of the 1996 IRL co-championship strong, finishing 2nd at New Hampshire and 6th at Las Vegas. His engine blew just as he took the lead at Orlando and the rain started to fall; he finished 11th. From there the season went downhill, with DNFs or finishes well off the pace at every race except Pikes Peak. He even missed one race (Charlotte) after a serious testing injury. Still, he finished 10th in the season championship. He returns to Bradley Motorsports to race for his father in 1998.
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Career
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Calkins began racing motorcycles and go-karts in Colorado as a teen-ager.
He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 with a 3.1 grade point average, majoring in both economics and history.
He was the Sports Car Club of America Formula Ford Rocky Mountain Division runner-up in 1989 and champion in 1990. He moved to the Indy Lights series from 1993-1995. He won the Formula Atlantic class in Tasman Series in New Zealand in 1994.
He led 130 laps and won the inaugural IRL race, the Indy 200 at Orlando, and was sixth at Phoenix in 1996. Calkins qualified at 229.013 mph for the 1996 Indy 500 and started on the outside of Row 3. His 17th-place finish was good enough to tie him for the 1996 IRL championship with Scott Sharp.
Courtesy SpeedNet, from the Indianapolis Star/News
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Driver Stats
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Team: Bradley Motorsports
Series: Indy Racing League
Car: #12 G Force / Aurora / Goodyear
Sponsor: Bradley Food Marts/Sav-O-Mat
Car Owner: Brad Calkins
Chief Mechanic: Steve Ritenour
Resides: Denver, Colo.
D.O.B: 5/2/71
IRL victories: 1996: Orlando
IRL points (standing): 1996 - 246 (1st, tied); 1996-97 - 204 (10th)
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